Proposition 19: high-profile issue, low-profile campaign

With competitive top-of-the-ticket races siphoning away big bucks, neither side in the marijuana debate has attracted the money to advertise on TV, the most effective way to reach California voters.

Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana in California, is the most talked-about ballot initiative in the country. If it passes, it would revolutionize the state's drug laws, provoke a clash with the federal government and fire up the movement to pass similar laws in other states — even other countries. It's become a staple for national talk shows and comedians.